Development Senior Manager

Position Summary

The Development Senior Manager is a frontline fundraiser responsible for managing a portfolio of individual donors and prospects, cultivating and soliciting gifts, and deepening donor relationships to grow philanthropic support.

The ideal candidate brings strong fundraising experience, superior communication skills, and the confidence to manage donor relationships independently while collaborating closely with the Chief Development Officer (CDO) and senior leadership. This role requires professionalism, polished communication, and the ability to represent the Foundation with credibility and warmth. It is an excellent opportunity for an experienced fundraiser ready to take the next step in their career with increasing responsibility.

Reports to

Chief Development Officer

Key Responsibilities

Donor Cultivation & Stewardship

• Manage a portfolio of individual donors and prospects; develop and implement cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship plans to increase giving and deepen engagement.
• Conduct donor meetings, calls, and ongoing outreach with the goal of securing annual and mid-level gifts.
• Participate in donor solicitation and support closing of gifts with senior leadership as appropriate.
• Oversee timely, personalized donor acknowledgments and stewardship communications.
• Collaborate with the CDO on cultivation strategies for high-net-worth prospects.
• Work with the Sponsorship & Events Manager to integrate donor engagement into events.
• Contribute to donor impact storytelling initiatives, partnering with Marketing/Communications.

Donor Communications & Engagement

• Craft mission-aligned, personalized donor communications.
• Partner with Marketing & Communications on donor-facing content.
• Ensure message consistency across donor materials.
• Identify donor-supported initiatives and prepare compelling stories and updates.
• Use donor data to refine stewardship strategies and deepen engagement.

Reporting, Analysis & Strategy Support

• Manage fundraising reporting including monthly, quarterly, annual, board, and lapsed donor reports.
• Track donor activity, metrics, and campaign performance.
• Provide insights and recommendations to senior leadership.
• Support annual stewardship and impact reporting.

Team Collaboration & Cross-Functional Engagement

• Partner with the CDO and Development team for alignment across donor strategies.
• Collaborate with program, finance, marketing, and events teams.
• Support donor-centered culture across the organization.
• Provide occasional guidance to junior team members.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive nonprofit fundraising experience.
• Experience managing an individual donor portfolio, including cultivation and solicitation of gifts ranging from $500 and above.
• Proven success securing 4-figure and 5-figure gifts.
• Strong understanding of donor lifecycle and relationship-based fundraising.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience analyzing donor data and trends.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build trust with donors.
• Experience with donor CRMs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with capital or special campaigns.
• Familiarity with milestone fundraising initiatives.
• Exposure to planned giving.
• Knowledge of grants, corporate partnerships, or sponsorships.
• Understanding of peer-to-peer fundraising.

This role offers an exciting opportunity to build and strengthen donor relationships, shape the Foundation’s donor engagement strategies, and contribute to the long-term sustainability of our mission.

Benefits

• Salary: $80,000–$90,000, commensurate with experience.
• Comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, retirement plan with organizational match, generous paid time off, ten paid holidays, summer hours, disability and life insurance.
• Opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the ALS community and contribute to finding a cure for ALS.

Our team works a hybrid schedule – generally three days in the office on days mutually agreed upon by employee and manager. Located in Skokie, IL, the office is easily accessible by car and CTA/Pace public transportation.

To Apply

Please submit a resume and cover letter outlining your qualifications and interest in the position to cpaesel@lesturnerals.org.

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

The Les Turner ALS Foundation is an equal-opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We encourage individuals from underrepresented backgrounds to apply. We will not discriminate and will take affirmative action measures to ensure against discrimination in employment, recruitment, advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, upgrading, promotions, and other conditions of employment against any employee or job applicant on the basis of race, color, gender, religion (creed), national origin (ancestry), age, marital status, disability, military status, sexual orientation or gender expression.

The Development Senior Manager is a full-time, salaried, exempt position. The Foundation complies with the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.